Wade Elliott provided Blues with a late saver during a dramatic finale to a battle of attrition at a mudbath Valley.

Elliott skirted in to sidefoot a Chris Burke cross-shot past Ben Hamer from close range in the third minute of stoppage-time.

Blues looked dead and buried after Yann Kermorgant appeared to have broken their resolve with an 88th minute header.

It was one of the few moments that Blues switched off and they were punished by a Charlton side who were then contemplating only their fifth home victory of the season.

But Blues then threw everything at them and threw them into a panic, pinning the Addicks into their own penalty area.

Nathan Redmond had a shot blocked, Blues appealed for a penalty when Curtis Davies went over and then the ball was worked to Burke during a mad scramble.

He took aim, probably directly for goal, and Elliott was quickest to react to usher in a vital equaliser for Lee Clark's men.

Blues weren't at their best - Jack Butland was outstanding - but they dug in for the most part and extended their unbeaten run to a fifth Championship match.

Warnings about the Valley pitch proved correct. It was probably a surface worse than Blackpool's crumbling Bloomfield Road.

Muddy and boggy, the ball didn't always roll or bounce truly and Charlton got to grips with it much better in the first-half.

Clark opted to go with the same starting XI he fielded in the last away game, at Burnley, but they were not as comfortable as they were up at Turf Moor in the opening period.

Ricardo Fuller's power and skill caused Blues plenty of problems and out wide Charlton were threatening, particularly Lawrie Wilson on the right-hand side.

Blues struggled to match Charlton's physical power and got clogged up, literally, trying to make headway.

In the 11th minute a vital flying block by Callum Reilly stopped Dale Stephens from turning in a low free-kick from Johnnie Jackson.

And then after Paul Robinson gave the ball away, Fuller dummied Davies with a couple of stepovers and brought out a low save from Butland.

The clearest chance of the first-half came in the 29th minute, from a short corner.

Stephens delivered the ball to the near post and Wilson, all alone, glanced the ball the wrong side of the upright inside the six-yard box.

Blues immediate response was postive as Robert Hall weaved his way into the penalty area and turned back on Chris Solly, only for the Charlton defender to make a goal-saving tackle as he shaped to shoot from 10 yards.

But it was generally tough going for Blues in the opening 45 minutes.

They began the second-half in much better fettle, with Hall providing trouble on the left and Marlon King getting much more service and into it.

King fired over from inside the penalty area after exchanging passes with Burke on a direct counter attack.

But Fuller was at it again in the 57th minute when he struck a curling shot that had Butland grasping at air but just veered wide of the post.

It had become a much more even contest, lurching from end to end, and left-backCedric Evina slashed a glorious chance wide after a cross dropped to him in the heart of the penalty area, off Wilson's chest.

Butland made a vital save from Scott Wagstaff during an almighty scramble when it looked as if Charlton would break the deadlock as Fuller tried to batter his way through the tackles and mud.

For the final quarter Blues went with two up front as Wes Thomas came on for Morgaro Gomis and then Redmond entered the fray.

With nine minutes to go, Butland pulled off a brilliant save, getting down quickly to his right to stop a stinging Scott Wagstaff drive from 16 yards.

And then it went crazy, with Kermorgant heading Charlton into the lead with just two minutes on the clock from Solly's floated cross.

Blues brought on Nikola Zigic and had to go for broke. Davies went up front too, they pushed everyone on and during a period of frenzied pressure in added-time, up popped Elliott in the thick of things to force Burke's drive in.